Situation Update: The Sahel Crisis - 3 April 2014

Despite the 2013 harvest in the Sahel being equivalent to the last five years average, more than 25 million people remain food insecure in 2014. The agricultural production of the poorest households in 2013 was insufficient to restore their livelihoods and covered only their nutritional needs until March 2014. They now depend entirely on markets to access food.

In order to reduce the food insecurity burden in the Sahel, additional and timely efforts are needed to strengthen the livelihoods and enhance the resilience of poor and very poor households in the region. In 2014, FAO is appealing for over USD 115 million, of which USD 74 million is needed by the end of April 2014 to adequately respond to the main agriculture campaign.

In 2013, FAO received USD 26.5 million for its operations in the Sahel. Thanks to these contributions, FAO assisted more than 2.5 million beneficiaries by supporting food and livestock production, as well as providing livelihood protection and technical assistance.